為維護用電安全，現今的工廠與居家之低壓配電線路中都裝設過電流及過載保護裝置，於短路及過載時切離電源。有些特定支路還必須安裝漏電斷路器，避免人員感電。當這些保護裝置正確使用時，似乎不需要其它的保護裝置。然而，根據國外調查指出，有些住宅火災發生原因，懷疑是因為電弧故障所引起。電弧故障斷路器(Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupter-AFCI)是一種偵測線路中電弧故障發生的保護裝置，它透過對電弧特性判別來偵測串聯及並聯電弧，在電弧的熱能引起火災前儘早切離電源。本論文探討電弧特性與如何進行電弧故障檢測，從實驗結果與相關文獻資料找出低壓線路發生串聯電弧故障時與正常運轉時的不同之處，接著歸納出五項檢測規則，再使用這五項檢測規則組合出三種檢測方法。最後使用三種檢測方法應用於實驗數據之電弧故障檢測並與商用AFCI的動作結果進行比較。三種檢測方法的確能判斷發生串聯電弧故障，且誤動作的機率不高。本論文找出的檢測方法未來如能開發使用，應可在電弧的熱能引起火災前儘早切離電源，降低火災的發生率。

Today, the low voltage distribution circuits in the industry plants and houses in Taiwan have been installed the over-current and over-load circuit breakers to switch off power sources during fault or over loading conditions. The earth leakage breakers are also installed in some special circuits to protect people from electric shock. When those protection devices are properly applied, it seems that no other protection devices are required. However, many oversea examples reveal the facts that a number of home fires are caused by electric arc faults. The arc-fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) is a device which can detect the occurring of electric arc in the low voltage circuits, it can switch off the power source before the occurring of fire caused by series or parallel electric arc faults. In the thesis, it is to discuss the arc characteristics and to develop the arc fault detecting methods. The difference of current waveforms between arc fault conditions and normal operation conditions are studied by using the experimental results and relative literature. Then five detecting rules are developed to suppose three detecting methods. Finally, the experimental data with serial arc fault are used to test the three detecting methods and compare with the commercial AFCIs. The purposed detecting methods can really detect the occurring of series arc fault occurs, and the probability of malfunction is low. If the detecting methods in this thesis can be practically used in the future, it could switch off the power source before the occurring of fire caused by electric arc faults and reduce the incidence of fire.

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